


Don't Forget Me

by WhiteFedora



Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Established Relationship, F/M, One-Shot (supposedly), Reader-Insert, Self-Indulgent, Slight depiction of the other characters, first attempt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-21
Updated: 2019-02-21
Packaged: 2019-11-01 18:18:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17872352
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhiteFedora/pseuds/WhiteFedora
Summary: All the elation you felt before was overridden with sorrow, as if a tsunami has swept you away and left you drowning in its wave of misery.Except, this tsunami brought you closer to Law, only to drown both of you together within it.You wanted to say “I love you”.But it would hurt him even more.





	Don't Forget Me

Shivering.

You realised you were shivering. You were somehow awake, seated against the wall. There was something heavy on your body, which covered you from your shoulders to your feet. You felt exhausted, your head was giddy and breathing seemed like demanding chore. You squinted your eyes in an attempt to clear your blurry vision. It didn’t work. A sound captures your attention. You closed your eyes, concentrating on the sound. You opened them, only to notice you were breathing heavily. You sluggishly turned your head, taking in your cold surrounding. You saw a silhouette of a person on the wall, but you couldn't see any familiarity with anyone you recognized. Your teeth chattered. 

You tried to talk, but your throat was parched. Instead, a scratchy whimper was let out. A shuffling could be heard from your left, and your head turned the other side. There was a person, near the window, where the luminous rays of the moon enters into the dark room. While the back was facing you, you could see a side view due to the moonlight. You assumed this individual was tall, with messy raven hair, tattoos on this person's forearms. You started a coughing fit, eyes closed and your hands dragged to cover your mouth feebly. The person turned around in that period of time, kneeling right in front of you when you stopped your coughing fiasco. The person’s steel-like eyes observed you, scrutinizing every feature you had.

“How are you feeling?” a rough yet mellow voice reached you. You stared at his eyes, eyes traveling down from his face. He had dark eye bags, and what you assumed was a goatee and half done beard. He wore long black sleeves, with a yellow jolly roger on it. You couldn’t inspect further, as you close your eyes and coughed again. 

He looked familiar, but you couldn't exactly get a name out. 

He pulled back from you, still crouching and looked around, ensuring nobody was around. After a while, your coughing stops and you started to inhale deeply. Cold air rushed into your lungs as it grated against your dry throat, which turned into the warmth you felt on your lips as you breathed out. Turned out it made your cough worse, your body almost flipping over due to it. The dry, biting frost wasn’t too helpful with your throat recovery either. Despite the thick material covering over you, your fingers were cold and felt numb, same with your feet.

“[Name],” you heard the same voice again.

He was now facing you and you took this chance to look at him properly, with the aid of the bright glow from the moon. He looked cold, dark and handsome. Despite the miserable condition you were in, you couldn’t help but admired his features. Peering, you noticed his eyes looked almost dead, perhaps a better word was almost desolate. It seemed like he went through many adversaries, tired from all of it and just wanted to give up. However, a small yet bright glint of light in his eyes was present. Finally, your eyes stray to the window, where the moonlight came from. You closed your eyes again, feeling fatigued and numb from the cold.

“[Name],” he said with more emphasis, “Don’t give up on me just yet.”

_Ah, he sounds like...Law…_

Law had grey eyes which could turn steel-grey, becoming a straight out asshole, or a warm grey which brought out the uncharacteristic sincerity in him. He was really one hell of a man. Right now, the man had the eyes of a concerned mother, worry clearly written all over his face. Your head throbbed and you grab your head with both hands, putting up some attempt to ease the pain. You whined as you tried to get rid of the throbbing. He gave out a strained whimper, as if to show sympathy. Shuffling about, he sat next to you and removed your hands from your head, rubbing circles on your head with his own. Somehow, it worked and the headache subsided. He slowly lead your head onto his shoulders, adjusting to make you comfortable. The material over you had slipped off at that moment and he quickly place back to your shoulders, keeping you warm. You stared at him as he do so, and he stared back when he was finished with it.

“I’ll get us out of here, alright?” Cold hands that weren’t yours, cupped your face. You shivered to the touch, but the gesture warmed your heart. You gave a faint smile and snuggled into his body. You wanted to share the coat that was covering you, but you barely had the energy to cover the thick material over him. 

“I don’t need it,” He responded curtly to your small action, a soft smile showing appreciation.

_Law...you idiot..._

You could feel him suffering under the frigid temperature. You frowned but he shook his head. You suddenly sneezed, erupting into another round of coughing. Your body shook from all the movement, letting your hair to fall out of place. You felt so worn out. He moved the strands of hair that covered your face behind your ears, sighing. 

“You know, after this, let’s go to that one island you wanted to visit,” Law hummed quietly, “It’ll be nice to get away from the crew once in a while.”

You gave him a what-you-think-is-a-wry smile, rolling your tired eyes. He pretty much escaped from his crew, having adventures in Punk Hazard and Dressrosa and opted for the help of the Strawhat pirates. You missed him and was restless during your stay in Zou. Well, at least you’re with him now. Not in the most romantic or favourable of places, but you could still worked with it. You were thinking of stealing his hat for fun, tell him stories of what happened on the way to Zou, asking about his adventures and how it was like to get his revenge. At first, you were worried, for his hatred was of like a burning flame and he would be consumed by it. Eventually, he reassured you he’ll be fine and wouldn’t be so engrossed with his revenge. 

Something light hit your forehead and you winced. You glared at Law as he tilted his head, smirking at you.

“Welcome back to earth,” He joked, sniveling at the cold. You wanted to quip back at him, probably warn him that it might bring back your headache. However, your retort ended up in a hacking cough. Law seemed startled but quickly kept a calm composure. His ice-cold hand reached for your hand. Your own cold hand embraced his, the minor action giving you comfort. He firmly squeezed your hand and you smiled sadly.

He was trying to keep a false happiness. He still tried till the very bitter end.

* * *

_Through the small window of the door, you could see a dim-lit room, its owner still awake. You sighed, knowing Law was still flipping through books, in hopes of finding an answer, perhaps a line which will bring solace to your imminent death. You gulped, gathering your thoughts. As much as you wanted to get this over and done with, you had to do this properly. When you were prepared, you knocked twice before allowing yourself in._

_The door revealed opened books scattered over the floor, some recklessly flung onto Law’s bed. The only books not rattled was those stacked neatly on Law’s desk, with a few left on his shelf that remained untouched. Law was sitting at his desk, hand in his hair, tightening as his face contoured into frustration. He didn’t even glanced up to acknowledge your intrusion. You gently closed door and quietly maneuvered around the books._

_“Law.” You finally said as you settled beside him, shifting to balance properly from the journey across the books. He grunts but does not do anything else. You cluck your tongue, placing your hands on his shoulders. The muscle beneath tensed up but slowly relaxed. You sighed, “You don’t need to do this.”_

_His fingers stopped flipping the pages, instead started tapping lightly against the pages. The tapping continued until he heaved in a deep breath, letting go of the book and leaned back against chair. He lifted his head up and found your eyes. You strained a smile but he knitted his brows. He looked around his room, taking in the aftermath of his research, pinching the bridge of his nose and closing his eyes as he took in the mess. Taking a deep breath, his one hand reached out for yours on his shoulder and grasped it tightly._

_“I want you to live,” he blatantly said._

_As monotonous as he made it sound, you knew it was genuine. You leaned down to his head, and pecked his forehead. You pulled back and hummed, “I’m living right now.”_

_He gazed at you, analyzing for something. A hint of fear, or a twitch of dread. He was looking for some sort of reluctance of the impending death that will be bestowed upon you, unwillingly. You were either really good at hiding it, or did not fear your death. He stood up, interlacing your fingers with his, attempting to bump foreheads together. However, due to his height, he had to strain both his back and neck. You snickered at his effort, tip-toeing to kiss his chin, embedded with his goatee which you were fond of. You pointed in the direction of his bed, offering another option to him. His eyes traveled to where your finger pointed to, a smirk forming on his face._

_“Cheeky, aren’t we?” He commented slyly._

_You stuck your tongue out, grabbing the books on the bed and placing it back to his shelf. Putting them in a tidy manner, you smiled at your accomplishment and hopped onto Law’s bed. He was already on bed, shirtless and looking up to the ceiling with his arms folded underneath his head. You mimicked his pattern, except with a camisole on, one arm laid over your stomach while the other stayed at your side._

_“What are you thinking ‘bout?” you asked._

_He blinked a couple of times, finally facing you as he lied on his side. One of his arms was flat underneath his head while the other was relaxed in front of him, in between his body and yours. You already knew what he was roughly thinking of, but you wanted a confirmation. When the word fell out of his mouth, you did not think you would react so strongly to it._

_“You.”_

_For some reason, you cracked a sincere smile, unable to contain the happiness you felt with that single word. It was heartwarming and you felt your cheeks reddened. Oh, how such a simple word meant so much to you. Law barely showed his affection, considering how you guys were only dating for a few months. However, even when you’re alone with him, he would only pat your head or hold your hand. He would drop the formality he had around the others but still keep a certain tone around you. From then on, you realised you had to be the one to initiate anything romantic or intimate. Though, he shown he had slowly picked up your signals and have responded back slyly, even suggestively. At sometimes, you can see him embarrassed and blushing. You took great joy in these small feats. Perhaps it was the Strawhats doing, something you would gladly thank them for._

_You would have playfully retorted, but he moved closer to you and hugged you, arms around your waist. His head rested on your shoulders and you can hear him breathing deeply._

_“Stay for tonight…” he breathed._

_This surprised you and you could not help but feel flustered. You eventually returned back the embrace and smiled stupidly. You felt another layer of warmth gush into your chest and welcomed it with open arms. Your heart was beating rapidly, hopefully not in nervousness. All you know is that you’re swimming in a flood of happiness._

_Suddenly, you can feel his grip tighten around you, his shoulders started to shudder. The atmosphere became heavy and you wondered what could have happened, until you felt one drop, two drops, three drops-_

_He was crying._

_You took a breath of realization, wrapping your arms tighter around him, like how a mother would comfort her crying child. You combed your hands through his hair, following a slow motion as Law whimpers and sobbed._

_“I don’t want you to go,” he choked, his words filled with desperation. You were at a loss for words. Those words brought down heavy realisation, your eyes widen with enlightenment. Your death, will not only impact the crew’s life, him too. Your heart felt heavy._

__Especially him._ _

_Hearing such words, holding so much meaning, you squeezed your eyes shut, preventing your tears to flow. You could feel your heart, slowing ripping apart at the seams, breaking your facade, the fake confidence you had to face death head on._

_He knew you had little time left. There were so many things you imagined doing with the crew, so many things you wanted to enjoy while out in the vast and open sea. So many things...all ruined because of one illness. Just a small, single illness that managed to bring your whole life crashing into oblivion. You couldn’t think of anything appropriate but the truth, ultimately cooing, “I’m not going anywhere, Law.”_

_“At least, not so soon.”_

_This caused him to bawl loudly, grabbing at your camisole fervently, as if he was losing you that very second. You felt a pang of sadness, rubbing circles on his back. You reassured him you’ll be with him till the very end, despite all obstacles. All the elation you felt before was overridden with sorrow, as if a tsunami has swept you away and left you drowning in its wave of misery._

_Except, this tsunami brought you closer to Law, only to drown both of you together within it._

_You wanted to say “I love you”._

_But it would hurt him even more._

* * *

Your heart beated slowly, which you determined was your body finally succumbing to the chilling cold. You could still feel Law’s hand clasped over yours, bringing you a image of a small flame, surviving in a cold barren wasteland. It was so small, so little yet it was still burning. This was the warmth you were feeling, small yet resilient.

It was soon.

You turned to face Law, noticing his eyes were glazed, looking down at the hands attached to each other. He was sniveling just like that night. 

You felt your eyes pricked with tears. You bit your lips, ignoring how dry your throat was, trying to fight back a whimper. You squeezed his hand, bringing him to lift his head up. He locked eyes with you, it was filled with affection, as well as intense agony. You couldn’t stand it any longer. The dam that sealed your tears away burst open, tears gushing down your face. You cried, which offsets a huge wave of coughing. You felt so miserable and worn out. Physically and emotionally. The cough would occur sporadically during your breakdown, producing ugly noises. You tried to breathe, to give some sort of message to him, but you just kept crying and coughing. Law placed his hand on your back, attempting to ease the pain as he strokes down repeatedly. You can feel his hand as it imprinted on your back.

It was long until you finally reached a point to where your body submits to your request and calms down, apart from the shivering. It was finally quiet. You felt about your pants, proving it to be a difficulty as your hands were freezing cold. You felt a rough outline of an item and grabbed it out of your pocket. Your breathing has turned shallow and you're still whimpering, but you deemed yourself proper enough to pass Law this gift. You slowly opened up Law's large hand, placing the item into his open palm and guiding his fingers to enclose around it. You felt relieved for some odd reason, leaning against the wall and staring up at the ceiling. 

Law looked agonized, from your sudden breakdown to this, he was expecting it at all. He just hoped it would never have happened. However as you handed him the item, he looked surprised and was curious. He turned it around delicately, but was only lead to think it was only a seashell. You grunted made some small movements with your hands, causing the coat to fall off your upper body. You could not be bothered with feeling cold now, you needed to do this. You held out one hand, as if it was carrying something, while the other hand has turned into a fist, except for the index finger which was pointing down onto the imaginary item you was holding. Law tried to followed suite, pressing random places of the shell until he finally pressed in the tip of the shell. 

“Hey, Law.” a soft and familiar voice rings throughout the room.

Law jumped abit, brows raised as the shell has emitted the same voice as yours. 

“I just wanted to say…thank you.” You could hear yourself whispering your words. 

You smiled faintly at your accomplishment, finally letting your body do what it wanted to do. 

“For longest time in my life, I never felt such immense joy from being in such a crew like the Heart Pirates. It gave me so much good memories, so much frustration and _happiness_.” Your voice laced with forlorn. 

“Tell Sachi and Penguin to stop cheating in card games! And tell Bepo he was a super great friend, listening to all my complaints and bear hugs.”

“And tell the whole crew...I'll missed them!..They were the best family I ever had, even if it was for a short while… ”

There seemed to be a pause in the recording. 

“I…” the voice was filled with endearment and cooed. 

“I know it hasn't been very long, me being part of the crew and especially being in a relationship with you…I loved every single one of your quirks and flaws. Your hate for bread and umeboshi was amusing. You sometimes over-analyze things and you need to let loose at times!...”

“You're adoration for Corazon-san was heartwarming and I…”

“I want to thank you, for being part of my life, for letting me… to be a part of yours…”

There was a chuckle.

“I heard a saying, where you don't die because of being shot through the heart by a bullet from a pistol. You don't die when you're ravaged by an incurable disease. Heck, you don't die because you drank a soup made from poisonous mushroom…”

There was another pause. 

“It's only when you are forgotten, that you truly die...”

“S-so…” the voice wavered. 

“I-if you think about it, I won't be really dead…” there were sounds of swallowing and hesitance present. 

“So… So you can stop crying now, because wherever you'll be, I’ll always be, supporting you, fighting for the crew! I'll be there when you need me to be! I won't be slacking off in the navigation room soon anymore so…”

There was heavy breathing heard from the recording. 

“Thank you… for everything. Don't forget me, alright? ”

There was a loud silence.

“ _I love you, Law._ ” it whispered.

Law gripped onto the shell tightly, the cold causing him to shiver. He placed it on his chest, his head leaning back to the wall. His breathing was ragged, his vision blurry as tears streamed down his face relentlessly.

The recording goes on, playing a background of muffled sobbing, until it stopped. The moonlight slowly disappeared as the clouds covered it, leaving the room in complete darkness.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey readers! This is my supposedly, first one-shot. I tried to minimize all the mistakes I made in this script, however if you do find any typos or errors, I do apologize and please point it out to me! I would be happy to make this read more comprehensible and make changes. I hope you enjoy the this short story which my brain pushed me to write. Thank you!


End file.
